NASA Standard Experiment Command and Data System for Shuttle/Spacelab Payloads

Abstract

A new equipment command and data system (CDS), being developed by NASA for Shuttle/Spacelab-payload users, takes advantage of the more liberal constraints being offered a Shuttle payload user (i.e., size, weight, and power) to save cost. This Spacelab Payload Standard Modular Electronics (SPSME) system provides an extremely flexible approach derived from the modular design of the CAMAC system. SPSME promises to provide a real cost savings to the space community due to its universal application to most Spacelab experiments. NASA projections based on the mission model for the first 19 Spacelabs using SPSME versus the historical hardware results in approximately $125.4 million savings.